Sunday, February 26, 2006

Gal 3:1 - O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

We're currently studying the book of Galatians in BTPC. The Galatians have been called "fools" and "bewitched",and all because they have lost their focus: having started off by believing in the gospel for their salvation (faith), they have deserted the gospel and have trusted in works to bring them to the goal of their christian lives.

The problem for them wasn't in lawkeeping as a result of being saved, but rather lawkeeping as a means to attain the goal of glorification in Christ, now that they've started off on this journey by believing in the message of Christ for their salvation (Gal 3:2).

We do have the tendency to rely on works to bring us to God, even as Christians who've started off on the right footing. The thing comes when some of the "Christian" things we do become a must for us to do personally, or else our salvation seems to be at stake, things like going to an established church("You don't attend a church in a proper building? Maybe you're not really christian.."), singing songs in a particular manner, serving in a "frontline ministry" like in the band, or as song leaders, or even as bible study leaders!

On another note, I've been an absolute fool, bewitched by nothing other than my own stupid thinking, in persisting in living my life in ways that seriously go against godly living and also in not trying to live my life the way I should be. All these done with the full knowledge and understanding of the consequences of such behaviour (we came from there) and of what Christ had come down to this world to do, saving us from our past wretched state, for a restored relationship with God and others.

With this,what words can describe myself? Not just a fool who thinks that there aren't any consequences to sin, but rather an obstinate fool who persists in doing such idiotic things! And an unrepentant one at that, not living for the good of others..

I have not loved enough(ask the people who are closest to me, they can definitely attest to that), and I have not been fully obedient. I can only pray to God and beg for forgiveness in Christ, whilst asking him to enable me to live my life the way I should be, for if we couldn't start on the journey by our own effort, we definitely cannot finish the course entirely by our own effort either.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Just sharing this with you all, hope it helps you wherever you are.-------------------------February 201 Corinthians 7

WHEN PAUL BEGINS TO RESPOND to the questions raised by the Corinthians (“Now for the matters you wrote about,” 1 Cor. 7:1), the first thing he treats is marriage, divorce, and related issues (1 Cor. 7). And the first part of his discussion deals with sex within Christian marriage (1 Cor. 7:1 - 7).

(1) Typical of many of his responses to this divided church, Paul here displays his “Yes . . . but” pastoral sensitivity. “It is good for a man not to marry. But . . . each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” (7:1 - 2). “I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God” (7:7). In short, Paul must answer not only their questions but their extremes. Ideally he must do so by bringing the factions together, commending each for whatever light it brings to the subject, while nevertheless helping each side perceive that it does not have all the truth on the matter and is in fact distorting wisdom.

(2) The NIV reads, “It is good for a man not to marry” (7:1). The Greek literally reads: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” The NIV translators assume this is a euphemism for marriage. But more recently scholars have shown that this is not the case. Apparently there were Christians in Corinth who advanced an ascetic agenda. Paul is prepared to say there is merit in that perspective: after all, later in the chapter he points out the advantages of being single in gospel ministry. But asceticism is not the only value; indeed, it may become an idol, or a way of disparaging God’s good gifts, or of refusing to recognize the diversity of gifts God bestows on his people. After all, marriage relieves sexual pressure; to deny sexual pressure and cling desperately to celibate asceticism may lead to gross sexual sins ( as it often has). The societal answer, biblically speaking, is not open sex or lasciviousness, but marriage. That is not the only value of marriage, of course, but it is a real one.

(3) Notice how, in the arena of marriage, Paul insists that sexual privileges and responsibilities are reciprocal: e.g., “each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” — which is a long way from treating the woman like chattel. [?cattle] How many reciprocal statements are found in this paragraph?

(4) Within marriage, neither partner is to deprive the other of normal sexual intercourse except under three conditions: (a) by mutual consent; (b) for the purpose of devoting themselves to prayer; (c) and even then only temporarily. Thus, according to Scripture, sex must never be used as a weapon, offered as a bribe, or withheld as a punishment.

Have been listening to John MacArthur's teaching for the past few days in the Grace to You podcasts, they are quite good (in terms of faithfulness to the bible), although his way of delivery made me want to laugh whilst listening to it on the train initially (the American way of giving speeches, virtually shouting most of the time =D ).

A couple of podcasts that I listened to that were particularly helpful, and especially since 1) I do have a problem with self-discipline, and 2) it's usually not talked about from the bible's perspective, if at all.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

No, it's not the A&E in a hospital, but rather Eugene and Amy's wedding (with the initals reversed). Went for their wedding yesterday,and also their wedding dinner this evening.

What touched my heart in particular, was how the love shown by Eugene and Amy to this particular american friend of theirs whilst they were studying in Australia, and over time as a result this person came to know the love of Christ, which was also why they could love others. Their american friend came over all the way from the US, to share both in the wedding celebration, and also his testimony/story.

This is my first time attending a wedding dinner with my local church, and although it was nothing less to be expected of them, but nevertheless the conversation topics over the dinner table ranged from mindless banter and jokes (some exceedingly cold) to proper catching up with one another (as much as was appropiate at such a setting) and things with regard to 'ministry'.

Looking forward to more fellowship and gospel growth together with these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, really..

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Sorry for the lack of posts since monday, the week had been hectic with things: things related to "work" (my IA), and things related to the church of Christ.

Looking back at the week, it had certainly been insane (and worryingly congested), with much of my processor time being taken up by the tsunami that happened.

In conclusion to filtering and thinking through about things, I (personally) certainly need to repent of some things, like not caring enough for others where they are, and also going to the opposite extreme in wanting to treat ladies with purity, especially sisters in Christ. Praying that God will allow me to repent in action, since counting the things already declared, there aren't anything else that needs to be said, but done.

Looking at the many things big and small that happened, I can only thank God: for saving us in Christ from our future judgement, for the giving of His Spirit that enables us to understand the scriptures and to obey Him in loving others, for not leaving us alone in this world but granting us relationships with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, for the status of marriage which I'm able to work toward currently with someone dear to me, and for her herself also.

Thanks also, to those who've helped me to think and have shown love in your concern, it was much needed and appreciated, really...

Am not sure how things will turn out from here on (then again most things are uncertain, except for Christ's return to judge this world), but whatever happens, we can only trust in God's sovereignty as we all make the effort to live our lives the way we should be, as God's people.

Monday, February 06, 2006

The castle of escapist pride I inadvertently built became nothing more than a blinding prison to me. What a fool I've been!

But thank God, that the gospel of Christ that sets us free from sin is the very same gospel that continues to open our eyes.

The only thing that comes now is the response to it (literally another two ways to live) : to live for others' good because Christ had done ultimately so for us, or to continue in my blind pride and live in my own prison.

Sounds like a very obvious decision to make eh? But the simplest of choices can be the hardest to make. May God grant me the strength to make the correct decision by His Spirit...

---------------------------------------------With regard to some other issues, will need to think through on them though, it doesn't seem quite right still for some of them...Pray that God will allow me to think wisely on these things.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Born into sin, we could do nothing about it, except to continue to make God angry at us.

But after being saved by God, through believing in Christ's death and resurrection, we are fully justified in God's eyes, and start the journey where we continue to fight against sin (though we're fully free from the penalty of it).

It is hard, and at times we fall, not knowing where to put our faces when we do.

But the solution is to continue as how we started in the first place: if Christ's work on the cross solely can pay for our sins, then it should solely be the thing we turn to humbly to ask for forgiveness when we fall. After which, it's back to living our lives, trying our very best not to fall into that again.

Running the race is tiring, with the cycle of falling and repenting, and at times we want to "break out" of this cycle altogether. But God's promises still hold: if we persevere in living in obedience to Christ, He will surely save us when He comes again.

Thank God all these will end! I really can't imagine any reason to continue in this (or to do any good in the first place) if there won't be any accounting for what we've done in our lives. But that, also, is a stern reminder for us not to be on the wrong side of the judgement seat (so to speak) when Christ comes again.